זרעי קיץ

Thine is the day, Thine also the night; Thou hast established luminary and sun.

’The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.’

THE COURSE OF THE MOON
RABBAN JOCHANAN BEN ẒAKKAI, Rabban Gamaliel, R. Ishmael, R. Elazar ben 'Arakh, R. Eliezer ben Hyrḳanos, and R. 'Aḳiba were expounding (the laws of) the Molad of the moon. They said: The Holy One, blessed be He, spake one word and the heavens were created as the residence of the Throne of His Glory, as it is said, "By the word of the Lord were the heavens made" (Ps. 33:6). But in connection with the (creation of the) host of heaven He laboured with great labour. || What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He blew with His mouth the wind of the breath of life and all the host of heaven were created, as it is said, "And all the host of them by the breath of his mouth" (ibid.). All the stars and constellations were created at the beginning of the night of the fourth day, one (luminary) did not precede the other except by the period of two-thirds of an hour. Therefore every motion of the sun (is done) with deliberation, and every motion of the moon is (done) quickly. The distance covered by the sun in thirteen days and a fifth is covered by the moon in one day, and (the distance) covered by the sun all the days of the year, the moon traverses (the same distance) in forty-one days. All the days serve for the beginning of the Molad of the (new) moon; (for the following series) the days are reckoned backward; at the beginning of the night of the fourth day the beginning of the Molad (new moon) was in the hour of Saturn; and the mnemonic is ShNZ KMLChSh. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the third day, and the beginning of the Molad (new moon) is in the hour of Venus. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the second day, the beginning of the Molad is in the hour of Jupiter. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the first day, the beginning of the Molad || is in the hour of Mercury. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the Sabbath, the beginning of the Molad is in the hour of Mars. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the sixth day, the beginning of the Molad is in the hour of the Moon. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the fifth day, the beginning of the Molad is in the hour of the Sun. After three years of the small cycle the day of the next cycle (reverts to) the beginning of the night of the fourth day, the beginning of the Molad reverts to the hour of Saturn as in the hour when it was created. The great cycle of the moon is 21 years; it has 7 small cycles each containing 8 years. The total of the days of the lunar month is 29½ days, 40 minutes, and 73 parts. Each constellation serves the days of the lunar month for 2 days and 8 hours; three constellations serve for 7 days. The chief which begins on the new moon (of the lunar month) is the same which concludes at the end of the lunar month. The moon becomes new at every Molad, once at night and the next time by day, || and this is their sign: "And it was evening and it was morning" (Gen. 1:5). Between one Molad and (the corresponding) Molad in the ensuing year (there elapse) 4 days, 8 hours, and 876 parts. From one small cycle to the next cycle (elapse) 13 days, 2619 parts. When the sun goes in the south quarter, the moon goes in the north quarter, and when the sun goes in the north quarter the moon goes in the south quarter. All the hours serve for the beginning of the Molad of the moon in a retrospective order, according to the order "ShLKNChM and Z." In the first year at the beginning of the night of the fourth day the beginning of the Molad (conjunction of the moon) is in the hour of Saturn (Sh). In the second year the beginning of the conjunction of the moon is in the hour of the Moon (L). In the third year, in the following hour, the beginning of the conjunction of the moon is in the hour of Mercury (K). In the fourth year the beginning of the conjunction of the moon is in the hour of Venus (N). In the fifth year, in the hour following, the beginning of the conjunction of the moon is in the hour of the Sun (Ch). In the sixth year the beginning of the conjunction of the moon is in the hour of Mars (M). In the seventh year, in the hour following, the beginning of the conjunction of the moon is || in the hour of Jupiter (Z) in the hour following. The third and fifth years are like the seventh. In like manner for three times these hours serve at the conjunction of the moon retrospectively until the (expiration of) the 21 years of the cycle. All the constellations serve the moon by night from the four corners of the world: 3 in the north, 3 in the south, 3 in the east, and 3 in the west. All the hours serve the moon by night from the four corners of the world: 2 in the south, 2 in the north, 2 in the east, and 2 in the west. In the hour in which it began to serve in the south, (therein) it finishes in the west; and so with all its circuits. All the great luminaries of the stars are situated in the south except Ursa Major, which is placed in the north. All the Mazziḳin which move in the firmament and the angels who fell from their holy place (even) from heaven, (when) they ascend to hear the (Divine) Word behind the veil they are pursued with a rod of fire, and they return to their place. 10 days, 21 hours, and 204 parts are the excess of the days of the solar year over the days of the lunar year; and the intercalation is introduced to equalize the days of the solar || year with the days of the lunar year. The sun and the moon begin (their courses) at the new moon of Nisan, the sun goes before the moon at its Teḳuphah; and Aries begins to serve before it by day, and all the constellations serve thereafter according to their order. The moon goes in the opposite direction and Aries begins to serve before it by night, and all the constellations serve thereafter according to their order, until the year of the small cycle, until the year of intercalation (comes round). (When) the intercalated month comes round it supersedes (or thrusts aside) the new moon (of Nisan) and remains at the new moon of Shebaṭ, and so on until the twelve intercalated months (come round) when the sun and the moon are equal (again) at the commencement of the eve of the fourth day in the hour of Saturn in the hour when they were created. Between each Molad (conjunction of the moon and sun) there are only 86 hours, 40 minutes, and 73 minims (parts). The moon does not disappear from the firmament save for the twinkling of an eye; even though there were a full thread (of light) surrounding it in the east and in the west, the eye has not the power to see the moon until eight large hours (have elapsed). (The large hours) are two hours for each (large) hour, either at the beginning of the Molad (conjunction) of the moon or at the end of the Molad of the moon. The number of the days of the lunar year is 854 days, a third of a day, and 876 minims. || All the hours of a lunar month are 708 hours and 40 minutes; all the hours of a lunar year are 8504 hours. All the constellations serve the Molad of the moon and also the generations of the children of men; upon them the world stands, and everyone who is wise and understands, he understands the Molad of the moon and the generations of the children of men, and concerning them the text says, "And let them be for signs, and for seasons" (Gen. 1:14). The signs of the hours shall not depart from serving the sun by day and the moon by night. In three cycles of the sun or in four cycles of the moon there are 84 years, which are one hour of the day of the Holy One, blessed be He. When the sun and moon become equal at the beginning of the eve of the fourth day and at the hour of Saturn in the hour when they were created, and in the hour when the flames of the moon reach the sun by day at the degree (or ascent) of 60 (degrees), it passes therein and extinguishes its light; and in the hour when the flames of the sun reach the moon at night in the degree (or ascent) of 40 (degrees), it passes through it and extinguishes its light. Rabbi Nehorai said: It is the decree of the King that when Israel sins || and fails to intercalate the year as is becoming, the Holy One, blessed be He, acts in His mercy at the time when the flame of the sun reaches the moon by night at 40 degrees (or ascents), then the Holy One, blessed be He, makes the moon dim and hides one of the Synhedrion. When Israel does the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, in His great mercy He makes the sun dim and He sends forth His anger upon the nations of the world, as it is said, "Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them" (Jer. 10:2). Just as the moon's light does not rule over the sun's light by day, nor does the sun's light rule over the moon's light by night, likewise the calculation of the moon does not rule by day nor does the calculation of the sun (obtain) by night, and the one does not trespass on the boundary of the other. The dwelling of the moon is between cloud and thick darkness made like two dishes turned one over the other, and when it is the conjunction of the moon these two clouds turn in the east quarter and (the moon) goes forth from between them like a ram's horn. On the first night (is revealed) one measure (of light), on the second night the second measure, and so on until the half of the month when the moon is fully revealed, and from the middle of the month these two clouds turn their faces in the west quarter. The corner (i.e. crescent) of the moon with which it comes forth first, (the same) begins to enter and is covered therein by the two (clouds) on the first night (by) one measure, on the second night (by) a second measure, and so on to the end of the month until || it is entirely covered. And whence do we know that it is placed between two clouds? Because it is said, "When I made the cloud the garment thereof, and thick darkness a swaddlingband for it" (Job 38:9). And whence do we know that it becomes entirely covered? Because it is said, "Blow ye the trumpet in the new moon, at the covering, on our solemn feast day" (Ps. 81:8). "At the covering," on the day when it is entirely covered, blow ye the trumpet in the new moon.